Clothes stick



Feb. v27, 1940.* 5 w, F HEUER 2,191,527

CLOTHES STICK Filed sept. 16, 19:59

3a l M'a/f/ reuez' Patented Feb. c i

PATENT OFFICE Y CLOTHES 4s'rlox William F. Heuer, Quincy, Ill'.l

" Application september 1c, 1939, serialNo. 295,313

1 claim.'

The present invention relates to clothes; sticks,y

' end withv a head of novel formation whereby puncturin'g, tearing or other injury to the clothes or similar articles is avoided, and is provided adjacent Vto the head with an annular claw-like edgewhich is capable lof securing a grip upon the `Wet clothes or other fabric articles when pressed down and drawn laterally thereover, thusv enabling the water soaked clothes or similar articles to be readily separated and'iifted and removed from the body of washing solution in the washing machine preparatory to the passing thereof through a lwringer or other further treatment, without danger of tearing or otherwise `injuring the clothes or other articles. v'

A further object of the invention is-to provide a clothes stick of this character having circum" ferential grooves in the handle portion thereof to prevent slippingof the wet stick in the hand of the operator.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a clothes stick embodying the present invention; f

Fig. 2 is ay longitudinal section'of the operative end ofthe stick, taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the stick taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1j

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the manner in which the stick operatesin the separation and lifting of the Wet clothes or other similar articles; and.`r

Fig. 6 is a side View of .another form ofv the clothes stick embodying the present invention.

The improved clothes stick designated I in Fig. l, is turned preferably from a piece of hard or semi-hard wood of `suitable length 4to, form a handle portion 2 at one end, and a substantially hemispherical head 3 atthev other end, this head being concentric with the axis of the stick, and

I the stick is turned to a substantially reduced diameter to form a neck portion 4 behind or ad- `jacent to the head. According tothe present invention, an annular concave shoulder 5 is undercut into the vhead Where fit joins the neckporv or other articles.

(crau-,235)

tion 4. This shoulder has a surface ofrevolution about the axisqof the stick tangents C and D, the peripheral portions of which converge to a point O which is oset fromv the diameter A-B and toward the body of the head, these tangents C K and D being at an acute angle to the peripheral surface of the head, thus forming an annular sharp orclaw-like edge 6 which surrounds the hemispheralvhead where it joins the shoulder. In v.order to preventslipping of the stick in the hand .of the operator, the handle portion 2 is provided rwith a suitable number of circumferential grooves 1 which enable the hand of the operator to obtain a firm grip upon the stick and prevent slipping thereof, even though wet.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6,

the stick is constructed similarly as described` `above with reference to` Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive with the exception however that the handle por-' claw-like edges like those shown and described with respect to Figs. 1 to 3, so that the form of stick shown in Fig. 6 is duplex or both of its ends are operable to separate and lift the clothes In the single type of stick shown in Fig. 1, the handle end thereof may be provided with a groove 8 in which may be secured a cord or the like 9 by which the stick may be hung upon a nail or other support and thereby avoid breakage or other injury to the relatively sharp or claw-like edge 6.

In using a Vclothes stick according to either formjof the invention shown, the stick is grasped by its handle portion by the operator and an operative end of the stick having the hemispherical head thereon, is plunged down into the water and onto the piece of clothing or other article X to be separated or removed and then swung laterally. The plunging of ythe head of the stick into the water creates a suction behind the head,l causing water to flow around the head toward the smaller-diameter neck portion of thefstick,

or claw-like edge 6 on the head of the stick Will secure the piece of clothing or other article thereto with sucient rmness to prevent slipping of the Wetfand relatively heavv'piece' ofclothing or other articlev therefrom and. to avoid-` tearing, puncturing or other injury thereto under the Weight thereof, thus enabling the piece of cloth-5` ing or other article to be separated and liftedv with facility from the water or liquid in a-Washing machine in Which the pieces of; clothingr are otherwise relatively inaccessible, and to be caught by the operator and entered'rir'i'to the Wringer-or' otherwise disposed of for further treatment.

Clothes sticks embodying the present invention thus enable pieces of clothing or similar articles to be easily and quicklyvseparatedand removed from the hot Water'in a Washing'machineWith-v out the necessityof the placing'of the hands of the operator into the Water, and puncturing,'tear yingV or other injury to the pieces'of clothing-'or other fabric articles is avoided ley-the rounded shape of the hemispherical headandby the extended length of the 'continuously annular 4form of the sharp orl claw-like e'dge'adjacent tov or behind ther head Which-securs'the grip upon the piece vof* Wet clothing or'- othei" article'.

Obviously, clothes sticks embodying the present invention may be made of materials of different kinds. It is preferable however to turn theml from Wood in order that they may be made in# expensively, and hard or semi-hardwood is preferable in order to .minimize denting or breaking of the annular relatively' sharper claw-like edge on the head. Y

I claim as my invention: t Aclothes stickformed from av single Vpiece of woodand-having-an elongated cylindrical portion at one end constituting a handle, a substantially hemispherical portion at its other end con.-

stituting a head, and anv intermediate portion tapering gradually and'continuously Withoutinterruption-'rom the handle portion to said head, the reduced end of saidl tapered intermediate portionconnecting into the rear of said head lat substantially the center thereof and having a.'- t* smaller area than the rearof said head whereby the-marginal rear face of the hread'providesan annularv shoulder, therear face of the head providingv said shoulder being groovecl circumferentially With thebase of said groove disposed at substantially an acute angle to ther adjacent pe'-,`

r-,ipheral surface of. the head so that thefjunction y between'the rear face of said head providing said shoulder andthe peripheral surface of said head is relatively sharp and provides a circular edge for v.

claWing engagement With they clothes.

F, HEUER. 

